The island of St. Lucia, located in the Windward island chain of the Caribbean, has traditionally depended heavily on bananas production as a driver of exports and GDP. However, the combination of loss of access to preferential EU markets and an accelerated impact of climate change, specifically increased temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns, has resulted in a significant decline in the island’s agricultural sector and fish catch, negatively impacting both livelihoods of rural populations and heightening exposure to food security issues. To enhance the productivity and sustainability of livelihoods in local agro production, particularly in the context of climate change, two parallel but inter-related changes are needed.

Financial institutions of all sizes around the world are joining the digital revolution. In our work and research at the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion and the Inter-American Development Bank we have seen some best cases of institutions shifting toward digital as well as some failures. At the end of this month we’ll be discussing strategies to pursue digital innovation as part of the Foromic in Buenos Aires. (Join us for our session on Tuesday, October 31st at 11:15 am!) In the meantime, for institutions that want to start down the path of digital innovation, here are a few of our top strategy suggestions.

Nestled among towering volcanoes, Guatemala’s Lake Atitlan is often described as one of the world’s most beautiful lakes. Four of the Central American region’s seven biomes meet in the Atitlan region, making it a biodiversity hotspot and a natural “gas station” for migrating birds. But here, as elsewhere in the developing world, a lack of economic opportunities often drives local residents toward activities that devalue local ecosystems for biodiversity and for the people who rely on them for resources.

How can businesses, large and small, make their supply chains more climate resilient and simultaneously become more profitable? Almost any supply chain, but particularly those that are dependent on natural resources, will experience the impacts of a changing climate in all its parts. A recent study by Acclimatise for the IDB’s PROADAPT program, shows that assessing climate change risks and their effects helps businesses better understand their supply chains and strengthen their resilience, and in that process, give them a competitive advantage in the market.